


"Okay Dad"

by safelikespringtime



Series: To Build a Home [1]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Not Beta Read, Open Relationships, Parent Bucky Barnes, Parent James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Parent Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28524438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/safelikespringtime/pseuds/safelikespringtime
Summary: “Do you love him? Tony?”Bucky smiled a little to himself, not turning to face the boy, “What makes you ask that?”“I don't know. You always seem happier after seeing him.”
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Series: To Build a Home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089482
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	"Okay Dad"

**Author's Note:**

> BuckyRhodeyTony miniseries I guess  
> Combines MCU and 616 characters to create an Alternate Universe family. They're not Avengers. You kinda pick up on the story as you read it.

The slamming of the front door and a call of _‘Sorry I’m late!’_ indicated RJ arriving home and Bucky closed his journal, slipping it back in place just in time for the teenager to appear at his door. RJ stood quietly for a moment, backpack hanging off one shoulder, his t-shirt and jeans both grass stained.

“What did you do?” Bucky asked, voice calm as he rose a brow questioningly at his messy appearance. He knew RJ knew what he was asking, and just hoped the answer wasn't “yes”. He’d had the kid for 5 years and he’d done so well with his anger in recent years, he didn't want to hear he’d lapsed.

RJ shrugged, his bag slipping further off his shoulder catching on his elbow as he moved into the room to sit on the edge of Bucky’s bed, Alpine immediately making herself comfortable on his lap. “The kid down on the corner, Jordan, his parents were fighting when we were approaching their house. Could hear them out on the street. I took him to the park, and we rolled down the hill a bit until things calmed down.”

Bucky’s heart tightened a little and he gave RJ a sympathetic smile, “You're a good kid.”

“I just don't want him to go through what I went through.”

“I know,” Bucky pushed off his desk chair, trying not to groan with the ache of his back. He moved to sit beside the teenager, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, “Are you okay?”

RJ leaned into the warmth of Bucky’s hold easily, taking a shaky breath, “I didn't wanna leave him there. He said they fight a lot. Kids only seven and it just… That’s when my parents started fighting, y’know?”

Bucky nodded. He knew. He remembered vividly the first time Annie had shown up at his door, 2am with tears tracking down her cheeks, holding a sleeping RJ in her arms. He’d been out of hospital for a month at that point and had half a mind to go down and teach Richie Boyle a thing or two about the way you treat women. Some nights he wished he had. It took two years of “trying to make things work for RJ” and another eighteen months of Richie getting drunk and coming home angry and abusive before RJ showed up at his door sobbing about how his father had gone mad, by the time Bucky had made it there Annie was dead.

The pair sat silently, both lost in their own memories, until RJ’s stomach announced it was past time for dinner. Bucky pulled back carefully, “Do you want me to call the Doc? Get him to come in? I was going to see if you wanted to join me in New York for the weekend, take tomorrow off school. But if you're not feeling up for it we can spend the weekend here.”

“I’m okay, my next session is next week anyway. Are you going to see Stark again?”

Bucky nodded idly, helping RJ to his feet, leading them down the stairs to the kitchen.

“Hey Bucky?” RJ asked, pulling his laptop from his backpack to get started on his homework while Bucky cooked.

“Yeah, bud?”

“Do you love him? Tony?”

Bucky smiled a little to himself, not turning to face the boy, “What makes you ask that?”

“I don't know. You always seem happier after seeing him.”

“Well, my arm always has upgrades done to it after I see him,” Bucky lifted his prosthetic over his head. “But yeah. I love him, I guess. But we have a... weird relationship.”

“Because he’s already married?” 

“What's with the twenty questions?” Bucky finally turned to face RJ, leaning on the counter.

RJ shrugged, folding his laptop down to watch Bucky’s expression, “If you wanted to move to New York to be closer to them we can. You don't have to stay in Indiana for me.”

“I lived in Indiana before I got you,” Bucky poked his forehead. “I grew up here, remember.”

“Yeah and then you moved to New York so Rebecca could go to some big art school there and then you went to the army and then you lost your arm, and you were in and out of hospital for two years there before you moved back here. I know.”

“I like New York. And I love Tony and Jim. And I miss Becca sometimes. But I love living here. It’s quiet and it’s home and it makes me feel closer to my parents. If you want to move there we can. But I promise you, you’re not holding me back or anything.”

“You love Jim too?” RJ sat a little straighter, tilting his head.

“Like I said,” Bucky grinned, ruffling RJ’s hair, “Weird relationship.”

***

“Hi,” Tony pulled Bucky for a kiss before the door had properly opened, “We missed you. Rhodey’s upstairs.”

“Tony,” Bucky grinned as he stepped back, glancing over his shoulder at RJ staring awestruck at the building. “This is my uh...this is RJ.”

RJ’s head snapped forward at the sound of his name, “Hi, Mr Stark.”

“Tony,” the correction came quickly as they were ushered inside. “I’m glad to finally meet you, RJ. Bucky doesn't shut up about you.”

“Could say the same about you, sir.”

“Tony, please.”

Bucky smiled, lacing his fingers into Tony’s, “I told you just call him Tony. You do at home.”

“I know,” RJ flushed with embarrassment, following them down the big hall to the open living space. He wasn't sure what he expected from Stark’s house, maybe more gadgets. It was all fairly normal, maybe a little on the rich side but normal. 

“Harley will be home anywhere between an hour from now and seven hours from now,” Tony said, leading them up the stairs towards the bedrooms and living space. “He’s at the lab, so.”

“If he’s anything like you,” Bucky nodded his understanding, grinning at Tony’s noise of annoyance. 

“I’m not that bad,” he huffed.

Bucky nodded, though his expression told he didn't believe a word of it.

Tony opened the door to a room in the middle of the hall, “RJ, this is where you’ll sleep. Harley’s room is across the hall. Bathroom is at the end. You can leave your bag there if you’d like. Come down meet Rhodey. Or if you'd like to shower and rest a bit, don't feel pressured, do whatever.”

“Come meet Rhodey, then you can shower,” Bucky said, taking RJ’s bag from him and setting it inside the door.

Rhodey, or Jim, was sitting on the sofa when they entered the room, typing away on a tablet.

“Honeybear,” Tony dropped Bucky’s hand, crossing the room to take the tablet from his husband's fingers, “Guests are here.”

Rhodey looked up, smiling immediately as he caught sight of Bucky and RJ. “Hey, James,” he pushed himself from the seat, Bucky meeting him half way, easily pressing into his embrace.

“Good to see you again, Jim,” he breathed, allowing himself a moment to just soak up the warmth of the embrace. Bucky stepped back after a moment, keeping himself in the man’s hold as he turned back to RJ.

“RJ, this is Colonel James Rhodes. Jim, this is RJ.”

“I know who you are,” Jim reached his free hand towards RJ, “Pleasure to finally meet you, RJ. You can call me Jim.”

RJ shook his hand firmly, giving a small smile, “Pleased to meet you too, sir. I uh…” he glanced at Bucky a moment. “Thank you for inviting me.”

Jim nodded, squeezing Bucky’s side before releasing him, returning to his seat, “You're welcome any time, James comes. Harley will be back soon,” he nodded to the tablet Tony had taken from him. “I don’t know how much Bucky’s told you about him, but he’s seventeen and I think the two of you will get along.”

***

Bucky closed his eyes as Tony’s fingers carded through his hair, taking a deep breath, “How did you go about adopting Harley?”

Tony looked towards the hall where he could hear RJ and Harley talking animatedly with one another about one of the robots. From what he’d gathered Harley was going to take him to the labs tomorrow and show him. “You wanting to adopt RJ?”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Bucky nodded, peeking an eye open to look at Tony, smiling as their gaze met. “I gotta ask him if it’s something he’d be interested in. I know he doesn't want anything to do with Richie anymore. Not that the asshole has made any effort to contact him in the past few years.”

“It was different with Harley, I guess. Because he was still a kid. But I can call my lawyer. See if we can work something out for you?”

“Maybe. I’ll talk to him about it after this weekend,” Bucky breathed, craning his neck to press a kiss to Tony’s lips. “He told me last night that if I wanted to move here then I shouldn’t let him stop me.”

“Did you tell him I’ve been trying to get you to move here for years?”

“It’s not happening.”

“I know,” Tony smiled, sitting up, reaching for his phone. “I’ve been working on something. I wasn’t going to tell you yet but,” he paused, bringing up a blueprint, sending it through to the projector. “Rhodey and I have been working on it together. I should say.”

Bucky turned to the holo, watching as the blueprint took a 3D form. “A house. Or a castle, really. Tones that place is massive.”

“Hear me out,” Tony grinned, “Five bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. A living space, six car garage, big yard, a lab, two offices. Nice piece of land away from the city.”

“And what do you need all that for, hmm?”

“A room each for the boys, work space for me and Harley in the lab, office for Rhodey, spare one for you. Main bedroom for me, you, Rhodey. A spare room for you if you want privacy. A guest room. There’s a nice block of land in Shelbyville actually. You can stay where you’re happy. RJ doesn’t have to move schools.”

“You're insane,” Bucky breathed, shaking his head in wonder at the whole idea. “Jim knows?”

“Yeah Buckybear, he knows,” Tony smiled, pressing his face into Bucky’s shoulder. “Is this something you'd be interested in?”

Bucky kissed his forehead, a little dazed by the idea. Tony and Rhodey were looking at moving out to Shelbyville, to make a place where they could all live together.

“What about the company?”

“Pepper runs most of it already,” Tony shrugged, “I can do a lot of it from home, can travel back here if I need to.”

“You hate Indiana.”

“I don't ha—”

“You do.”

“Okay, I do. But I could learn to love it. For you.”

Bucky shook his head, looking back at the blueprint, “RJ only just found out we were actually seeing one another.”

“I think he only just made you aware he knew,” Tony corrected, watching Bucky hopefully.

Bucky chewed at his bottom lip, shaking his head a little in disbelief over the whole situation. Tony really was crazy. “I’ll think about it. I’ll have to talk to RJ about it.”

“That’s all I want,” Tony smiled, unable to hide his excitement at the idea of it all, “Thank you.”

“You’re crazy.”

***

“Hey!” Jim clicked his fingers towards the teenagers thundering down the hall the following morning. “Home before five. We have dinner tonight.”

Harley gave a mock salute, “Bye Pop! See you tonight!”

Bucky caught RJ’s gaze, shaking his phone in his hand, “Message me if you decide to leave the labs.”

“Okay dad, bye!” RJ called, following Harley out the door.

Bucky stared at the closed door, his jaw slack as the words processed. RJ had called him dad. He understood it was probably a slip of the tongue, Harley had just said goodbye to Jim. He didn’t want to overthink it but the way his heart tightened hearing the name.

“Okay, dad,” Jim echoed, patting Bucky’s arm lightly.

Bucky twisted to look at him, blinking away unexpected tears as he choked out a laugh, “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Jim smiled, pressing a steaming coffee into his hands, “I noticed,” he mused, filling another two mugs. “Lets go wake Tony, we have a whole day to ourselves.”


End file.
